Army Studies DMAA After Deaths of Two Soldiers

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The United States Army is currently attempting to determine whether certain dietary supplements containing dimethylamylamine (DMAA) may have played a role in the deaths of two soldiers, both of whom died of heart attacks during routine physical exercises. DMAA products have recently become hugely popular among athletes and late-night partiers because of the stimulant’s ability to increase energy, concentration and metabolism. Unfortunately, dietary supplements containing DMAA have been linked to a number of serious side effects including hyperthermia, irregular heartbeats, seizures, heart attacks and strokes.

DMAA Update 7/16/12: Researchers from the University of Texas, Arlington, recently tested and compared a number of DMAA-containing dietary supplements against commercially available geranium extracts, and detected no presence of the controversial substance in the geranium samples. The source of DMAA is a hot button issue as of late, because it could ultimately determine the outcome of a string of class action lawsuits filed against DMAA manufacturers and distributors. Click here to learn more.

DMAA Update 6/20/12: This week, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) warned Australians not to consume dietary supplements containing the controversial ingredient dimethylamylamine (DMAA). The Australian Federal Department of Health and Ageing and the Advisory Committee on Medicines Scheduling are considering a ban on the substance, and are set to meet at the end of the month when the problem will be ‘urgently discussed.’ Click here to learn more.

DMAA Update 5/14/12: Despite a recent FDA crackdown on DMAA-containing bodybuilding products, the Army will continue its research into the effects of the controversial dietary supplement ingredient. According to a Department of Defense (DOD) spokesperson, the military has an ‘intense interest’ in the results of the Army Public Health Command’s ongoing research on DMAA. Click here to learn more.

DMAA Lawsuit Update 5/4/12: Four DMAA supplement manufacturers who received warning letters from the FDA late last month have been slapped with class action lawsuits alleging their products are ‘illegal and dangerous.’ The litigation process will be watched closely, as the cases center around a hotly-debated point of contention regarding new dietary ingredients (NDIs): that synthetic versions of botanical derivatives are not classified as dietary ingredients, and are therefore not permitted for use in supplement products. Click here to learn more.

DMAA Update 4/27/12: The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) today sent warning letters to 10 manufacturers and distributors of DMAA-containing dietary supplements for marketing products whose safety has not been proven. Specifically, the FDA’s letters accuse the companies of marketing products for which a notification has not been submitted for the use of DMAA as a New Dietary Supplement (NDI). Click here to learn more.

Dietary Supplement Update 4/10/12: Less than a third of active soldiers discuss dietary supplement use with their doctors prior to taking them, according to a new study about drug use by military service members. Many of these individuals don’t consider the use of supplements to affect medications. However, when taken simultaneously, prescription drugs and dietary supplements can significantly increase a person’s risk of potentially life-threatening side effects. Click here to learn more.

DMAA Update 3/9/12: DMAA is to be banned in New Zealand after numerous reports of serious side effects and at least one stroke. It is the first substance other than a synthetic cannabinoid to be banned in New Zealand using the Temporary Class Drug Notices, and is scheduled to be completely off the country’s store shelves by early next month. Click here to learn more.

DMAA Update 3/7/12: Drugmakers and retailers that deal in dietary supplements containing DMAA are coming under increased scrutiny as questions of source and safety mount. The central issue currently causing the most debate about DMAA is the question of whether the stimulant is – as many supplement companies content – derived from the geranium plant, or whether it is a synthetically manufactured compound. Click here to learn more.

DMAA Update 3/6/12: Dietary supplements containing DMAA are being stripped from retail shelves and online catalogues in the UK as part of a crackdown on supplement makers by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). To date, the agency has ordered several companies to stop selling DMAA-containing pre-workout supplements like Jack3d, OxyElite Pro, and Hemo Rage Black. Click here to learn more.

DMAA Update 3/5/12: A new study has concluded that geranium oils do not contain the stimulant dimethylamylamine (DMAA), an ingredient in a number of best-selling dietary supplements. The new research once again questions an antiquated study often cited by pre-workout and weight loss supplement companies who market DMAA-containing products. Click here to learn more.

DMAA Update 3/2/12: U.S. Army soldiers will be test subjects in the first government-funded study into the side effects of DMAA. The research will be aimed at determining whether there is a link between the substance and reports of dangerous health conditions. Click here to learn more.

DMAA Lawsuit Update 2/28/12: DMAA has been illegally and unsafely sold in a variety of best-selling sports supplements, according to a class action lawsuit filed this month in Los Angeles federal court. The court filings accuse DMAA of being “illegal and dangerous,” and state that “experts in the industry have become concerned that this potent stimulant drug will lead to serious health issues and even death.” Click here to learn more.

Free DMAA Dietary Supplement Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has suffered an injury after taking a dietary supplement containing DMAA, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit against the manufacturer of the dietary supplement and we can help.

What’s the problem?

In response to the deaths of the two soldiers, the Department of Defense (DoD) has banned the sale of all products containing DMAA from stores on military bases pending completion of a comprehensive safety review. However, DMAA supplements such as Jack3d and OxyElite Pro are still widely available at GNC stores and other retailers throughout the country.

Drugmakers claim that DMAA is a dietary supplement derived from geranium root, but a growing number of medical experts say that it should be reclassified as a drug, which would require approval from the FDA before it could be sold on the U.S. market. A number of prestigious sports organizations including Major League Baseball and the World Anti-Doping Authority have listed DMAA as a banned stimulant. Canada has reclassified it as a drug, and retailers there cannot sell products containing the stimulant as a dietary supplement.

In the summer of 2011, a 22-year-old soldier collapsed and died while running at a Southwestern U.S. military base. No more than three months later, a 32-year-old soldier collapsed while exercising and subsequently died after a month of intensive care in the hospital. Both soldiers were later found to have DMAA in their systems at the time of their deaths.

In addition to the deaths of the two soldiers, the Army has also received a number of reports of liver and kidney failure, seizures, loss of consciousness and rapid heartbeats in other military personnel who took DMAA-containing supplements. The Army is currently in the process of attempting to determine the link between DMAA and the reported health problems.

Dimethylamylamine is structurally similar to amphetamine, and was originally synthesized as a nasal decongestant by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly in the 1940s. Although the company stopped marketing DMAA in the 1950s, medical literature from that era warned doctors that the substance was more potent in animals than ephedrine, an amphetamine-like stimulant.

A growing number of professional sports and supplement industry experts have claimed that companies marketing DMAA as a dietary supplement are exploiting glaring loopholes and putting the health of the public in jeopardy. Under U.S. law, substances classified as dietary supplements must contain supplemental ingredients, such as vitamins or minerals, and do not require FDA approval prior to being introduced into the market.

Do You Have a DMAA Dietary Supplement Lawsuit?

The Product Liability & Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in DMAA dietary supplement lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new DMAA injury cases in all 50 states.

Free DMAA Dietary Supplement Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has suffered an injury after taking a dietary supplement containing DMAA, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a DMAA injury suit and we can help.